Sunburn Remedy: Instant Pain Relief and Overnight Healing

Summer is quickly approaching, and with that comes long days outside, lounging at the beach, and the inevitable sunburn. Some people are just lucky and usually tan instead of burn, but if you’re anything like me, my pasty white German skin soaks up those rays a little too fast. The beginning of summer is usually torture for my poor skin, as I’m an avid sun lover. Don’t worry I ALWAYS put on my SPF, but sometimes I forget to reapply.

But then there’s days like this last Saturday, when I had no idea I’d actually be getting sun at all! Derik and I participated in a community garage sale and were able to get rid of a bunch of stuff we had laying around the house unused. The thing was, apparently we didn’t get their early enough to set up, because our designated spot was out in the open, with not a single ounce of shade in sight.

We didn’t even think about the sun rays; it was a beautiful day with a cool breeze, and heat/uv issues weren’t something we were concerned about. Well, we should have been. Towards the end of the day I noticed my husband’s shoulders were a little red, but we didn’t realize how much sun we actually soaked up until we arrived back at home (sorry for the crappy quality, we weren’t really focusing on taking an awesome picture as we were focused on our crazy sunburns).

#whoops.

It was time to break out the natural sunburn remedies, and hope for happy and successful healing. I’m always blown away by the fact that simple household products can give you better results than using pharmacy prescribed medicine. I used to lifeguard, and was constantly trying to find ways to give my skin a little extra tlc. This little sunburn recipe below has been one of my favorites, and I’m positive I’ll be using it for years to come.

MY FAVORITE SUNBURN REMEDY:

-Apple Cider Vinegar
-A Spray Bottle (optional)
-100% Pure Coconut Oil

Yep. That’s all you need!

Step One (pain relief): Pour 1/4 c. of ACV into the spray bottle, then add a cup of cold water on top of that. Shake the bottle really good to make sure it’s been mixed well. Spray this mixture liberally over your sunburnt skin. Dab the falling drops with a towel, and wait for it to dry. You should feel instant relief from the sunburn sting!

Step One (alternative): Let’s say you don’t have a spray bottle. Just create the ACV mixture in a bowl and dab on your sunburnt skin with a gentle washcloth.

Step Two (healing process): After the Apple Cider Vinegar mix has dried, gently rub  your sunburn with coconut oil. It’ll melt as you rub it in, so have a second towel ready to catch the oil drops. The coconut oil won’t seep into your skin as fast, so you’ll have to go to bed oily. Throw on an old shirt (so the oil doesn’t stain your sheets), and sleep the night away, hoping for some skin healing*!

*If you have a really bad sunburn it may take a couple days of treatment. It all depends on how quickly your skin recovers. Every person is different! It only took my husband a day to fully recover, whereas it’s taken me a couple more.

What’s your favorite Sunburn remedy?